PS3s no longer sitting on shelves. What's the deal?

[TheSource]

I think Sony is diverting units for Europe, to make that launch smoother. Unlike North America or Japan, you are dealing with a multitude of languages and cultures. I imagine designating shipments for each (relatively) small European market takes alot of time and effort, enough to strain world wide supply. Nintendo seems to still be recovering from a world wide launch, and Microsoft was restrained by manufacturing bottlenecks when it launched.